Mind Games
by Lily Hanson
Summary: The mind is a tricky thing; especially when it's being manipulated.
1. What Happens Next

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Kendall knew it was crazy. There were no signs of alien life on Earth, and there had been no attacks on the city in weeks. Clearly, whatever threat had been out there was gone. Sledge's ship has crashed into the mountains just outside the city. If the explosion leading the crash hadn't killed everyone on board, certainly the impact would have. Sledge, Poisandra, Fury, Wrench, Curio, they were all gone: dead.

Yet, Kendall couldn't shake the feeling there was more out there threatening the well being of the planet. It was ridiculous, but it was a feeling that wouldn't go away. To try and ease that awful feeling, Kendall resumed her work in the lab. She doubted there would be any need for new weapons and battle suits, but just in case, she wanted to be prepared. After all, there were still two more energems left to find. Who knew what kind of adventures those would bring.

She held a charger in her hand, unsure what exactly it would do. She had designed it to give the Ranger suits a bit more power. Once morphed, the Rangers could insert the charger into the morpher to activate a stronger battle mode. It was kind of like Dino Drive Mode, which the Rangers could use in the Megazords to harness and control more power. However, this was to be used on the battle field, when fighting opponents face-to-face. She figured anything that did survive the explosion and the crash had to be stronger than Sledge and his monsters. Therefore, the Rangers themselves needed to be stronger.

Finally, Kendall could do what she had always longed to do. Rather than ask the Rangers to test out her newest creation, putting them at risk of whatever consequences would come from untested chargers, Kendall could use the chargers herself. She could take the brunt of her creations until they were sure not to hurt the user. It was fair, after all. Any consequences the user suffered would be a result of her mistake. The only person who should have to suffer for her mistakes should be her.

The lab was empty. Koda and Ivan were upstairs, setting up for the day. Cammy was at school and Kendall's parents were at work. The people she cared for and her staff were all out of harm's way. So, morphed, Kendall placed her newest charger in her morpher and activated it.

She had no idea what happened after that.

-Dino-Charge-

A young Kendall woke with a start, sitting straight up in her bed, her little arms clasped tightly around her bear. She had just woken up from a nightmare, a terrifying one at that. More so than other nights since her father left, this nightmare shook her to her very core.

Looking around her bedroom, it was dark. It seemed her mother had switched off the nightlight after Kendall had fallen asleep. They were tight for money, and her mother refused to leave on the only source of light in Kendall's bedroom that kept the monsters away, claiming it sucked up to much energy. Until Kendall paid the bills herself, she was not allowed to leave any lights on.

The room wasn't pitch black, though. Some light from the moon came in between the curtains, creating very scary shadows on her walls. One in particular looked like the person from her nightmare who wanted to take her away. Her mother had gone for good, leaving Kendall orphaned. Now orphaned in her dream, people were going to come to kill her. Since she had no parents and no one to care for her, she was no use to anyone. And just like anything else that was useless, she would be thrown away.

Little tears brimmed her eyes as, in a panic, Kendall raced out of bed and down to her mother's bedroom. She opened the door then went to stand at her mother's bed side. She placed her hand on her mother's arm, gently trying to wake her.

" _Mommy,"_ she cried. _"Mommy, they want to kill me."_

" _Go back to bed, Kendall,"_ her mother answered her, rolling over.

" _You and daddy are gone and now they want to take me away and kill me."_

" _Your bastard father_ is _gone, Kendall."_

" _But you're gone too and..."_

Her mother sat up in bed, sighing heavily in frustration, _"Kendall, I'm starting work tomorrow because that asshole took off on us. If I don't get enough sleep, I'm going to go to work tired. If I'm tired, I won't do my job right. If I can't do my job right, they'll fire me. If I don't have a job, we won't have a house. And yes, Kendall, if that happens, people will come and they will take you away."_

" _No, mommy!"_ Kendall begged and tried to grab her mother, but Mrs. Morgan just pushed her back.

" _If you don't want to be taken away, don't wake me up again over a silly nightmare. Good night, Kendall. I'll see you in the morning."_

" _But mommy..."_

" _Get out,"_ Mrs. Morgan growled and pointed to the door. Kendall clutched her bear tightly and seeing her mother was not in a good mood decided to do as she was asked. She walked out of her mother's bedroom and back into her own bed. She wrapped the blankets around her tight and stared down the creepy shadows that watched her sleep. If her mother wouldn't protect her, she had to protect herself. Her night light kept the monsters away, certainly it would work on creepy shadows. So Kendall got out of bed and turned on her night light, swearing to be up early enough that morning to shut it off before her mother found out.

Once the light was on, the shadow was gone. Kendall, breathing a sigh of relief, climbed back into bed, tucked herself in and slowly drifted off to sleep. She knew she would forever remember this night, and the feeling she went to bed with. She remembered how scared and vulnerable she felt and how desperate she had been for her mother's help. But more than that, she remembered what it felt like to have to care for herself, in spite of knowing there was someone able to help and protect her in just the other room.

She hated that feeling. She hated that her mother had basically left her to sink or swim. That night, she had promised her bear that if he ever got scared, she would take care of him.

Now that she had friends, she refused to do to them what her mother had done to her. She would never leave them to sink or swim on their own. She would give them everything they needed.

-Dino-Charge-

Kendall woke, this time for real, to the sound of her computer ringing. She pulled herself up off the floor and realized she was getting a video call. She wasn't sure who would be calling her; she had just spoken with everyone the day before. However, she answered it. Not knowing why they could be calling was more of a reason to answer, considering it could be an emergency or something similar. Maybe even good news. Right now, she needed good news.

Chase's face appeared on her screen. He was smiling brightly so Kendall assumed he could see her too.

"I just wanted to talk," he started, knowing the first thing Kendall would do was ask what he was doing calling her for no reason. Then he frowned, leaning in a little closer to the screen. "Kendall, is that blood?"

"Huh?" Kendall frowned and instinctively reached to the spot on her head that hurt. When she pulled her fingers away she was surprised to see a couple spots on blood. She turned around, saw her morpher and her newest charger on the floor and remembered she had been testing out her newest weapon. Considering she felt like she had just woken up from a dream, and she had to peel herself off the floor to answer this call, she assumed her chargers had not worked as expected.

"Occupational hazard," she told Chase.

"Scanning for energems makes your head bleed?" Chase frowned. Clearly he knew there was more to tell.

"Someone logged into my computer in the middle of the night the other day," Kendall explained.

"So you just finished beating him up or..."

"Chase, this is serious. Someone logged in as me."

"Kendall, I don't know if you know this, but I've seen you sleep working before," Chase said, chuckling a little. Clearly he didn't think this was very serious. Then again, he didn't have all the details, but still, his joking on the matter frustrated her. "Ask Koda. I'll bet you he used to see it every night. You're something of a workaholic."

"Chase, I was at home, in bed. Passed out. Ask Koda," she retorted. Chase frowned.

"So then how did someone log in as you? You won't even share the access codes with us."

Kendall shrugged her shoulders. "That's what I want to know. In the meantime, if someone's interested in what's down here, it can't be good news."

"Or, it could be the aqua Ranger," Chase said. "Think about it, someone's bonded to the aqua energem. It's been a while, it's safe to assume they've morphed, right?"

"Not necessarily," Kendall shook her head. "Koda never morphed until I explained to him what his energem was. As a matter of fact, neither did you or Riley and Phillip, Cammy and myself only morphed shortly after bonding because we already knew about the energems. Tyler, Shelby and Ivan were the only ones to morph unknowingly. We can't assume the person who bonded to the aqua energem has morphed."

"But it's possible," Chase said and Kendall sighed. Clearly, he wasn't listening, though his point was still valid. It was highly unlikely, but it was possible.

"Yes, alright, it's possible."

"So, if they have morphed, then maybe they're curious," Chase shrugged. "I mean, how can you not notice Power Rangers and Zords running around the city. Everyone has. Now that it's a little calmer, maybe this person feels like it's time to learn more about us. Kendall, you might have a case of another energem falling right into your lap."

"That still doesn't explain how this person would have managed to break past my security codes and get access to... everything!"

"You're the scientist," Chase shrugged. "Though, right now, you're hurt. Kendall, go get someone to take you to the hospital."

"I'm fine, Chase."

"You're bleeding. Whatever you did to make yourself bleed can wait. Promise you'll get your head checked."

"Fine," Kendall nodded, then hung up on Chase. She grabbed her purse, ready to drive herself to the doctor's when suddenly her phone rang. She smiled a little, seeing it was Heckyl. "Yes?"

"A walk through the park?" he offered, which Kendall could admit to liking. He was pretty straight to the point with his requests. There was no wasting time by beating around the bush and playing games. He wanted something, he went for it.

"I'm a little busy."

"Aren't you the boss?"

"I still need to work. Besides, I've got... an errand to run."

"Let me join."

"It's at the doctor's."

"If you need someone to hold your hand..."

"I don't. Raincheck?"

"You owe me," Heckyl said before hanging up. Kendall nodded, knowing she would have to make it up to him somehow. Part of keeping a friend was ensuring she kept in touch frequently, not just when it was convenient for her. Still, a head injury was more pressing than a walk through the park.

She stepped out of the museum, sneaking past her employees, Koda and Ivan included, so no one would panic. Just before she reached her car, she spotted Heckyl in the parking lot, looking like he was waiting for her. She frowned.

"I thought I told you to..."

She had no idea what happened after that.


	2. The Ones That Stay

Kendall woke with a start by the sound of someone calling her name. She lifted her head off her desk in the lab and had a quick look around. She wasn't sure what had happened after she left the museum but when she reached to her head she could feel a bandage where blood had once been. She assumed she had gone to the doctor's, like Chase promised, and then returned back to work. She was in the lab, after all, and her computer was logged on.

Though, for the life of her, she couldn't remember any of it. This was all just assumptions based on what were admittedly some very fuzzy memories.

"Kendall, is time to go home," Koda told her, looking down with some worry. Kendall nodded her head, saw it was well past quitting time and tried to get to her feet. She was a little shaky though and Koda had to reach out to steady her.

"You're not looking well, Lady Kendall," Ivan said, moving in closer to get a look at her. "And what is that bandage doing on your head?"

"Occupational hazard," Kendall explained. "I've seen a doctor, though. Don't worry."

"You've been to a doctor?" Ivan frowned. "When did this happen?"

"Why not tell us?" Koda asked.

"I didn't want to worry you," Kendall grabbed her purse and logged off the computer. She had no idea what she had been working on but figured she could figure that out, as well as get back to it later. Her head was spinning. Clearly she needed a break. Maybe it was whatever painkillers the doctor had prescribed her. She opened her purse, looking through to see if she could recognize the pills, but there was nothing there.

Why would her memory be so fuzzy if she was completely sober? She hadn't hit her head that hard, had she? And if she had, the doctor wouldn't have let her return to work. Maybe she had insisted. She did have a lot that needed to be done. Or she could have been testing out the charger again.

Thinking of the charger, Kendall asked Koda if he could bring her laptop home. If the charger had malfunctioned twice, Kendall wanted to know what was wrong with it. She couldn't test it at home like in the lab, but she could run several scans overnight. Koda picked up the laptop like he was asked while Kendall went to pick up the charger. However, it wasn't where she left it, nor was it on the floor where she found it earlier after passing out, nor was it in her morpher.

"It... it's gone," she whispered. Ivan, who had stayed close to her side while Koda was getting the laptop, frowned to her curiously.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The charger," she said. "I... I've been working on a new weapon. Something to increase the strength of the Ranger suits tenfold in case of trouble."

"Why do that?" Koda asked.

"Just... to be safe," Kendall said. "In case something or someone does come after the energems."

"But Sledge and Fury gone," Koda insisted. "Kendall scan say so."

"Yes, but something weird happened and... Koda, I just want to be safe," Kendall said. "I'd rather be ready for something that never happens, then let the two of you jump into trouble unprepared."

"What kind of trouble?" Ivan asked.

"I... I can't answer that," Kendall said. "But that's not important. There's a powerful charger that I can't find. Neither of you took it, right?"

Koda and Ivan looked to each other, shaking their heads. Even though work in the lab was a lot less dangerous since Sledge and his monsters were gone, both were still very careful around Kendall's things. And they would never touch, never mind take anything without her permission.

Knowing they were honest men, Kendall rubbed her temples when she saw their answers. She was quickly growing frustrated. First, someone had logged into her computer, as her, and she had no memory of the event or explanation for who it could be. Now, a very powerful and highly dangerous, incomplete charger had disappeared right out from under her nose.

Both of these had taken place inside a lab only a handful of people knew about. All of which Kendall trusted with her life. And there was no clear explanation for why any of those people would do something of the sort to her and lie about it. If they had logged in, Kendall only wanted to know why. If they had taken a charger, Kendall would only insist they be careful with it.

Suddenly, tears started to come to her eyes. Kendall couldn't explain the rush of emotion. She was generally good about keeping her feelings to herself, and frustration rarely led to such an emotional reaction in front of her friends. Ivan saw the tears and turned to Koda, who shoved the bag with Kendall's laptop into the knight's hands and took the scientist in his arms.

"It okay," he promised her. "Maybe forget where put charger. Find in morning, after sleep."

"You do look like you need it," Ivan added. Kendall nodded, wiped her tears and followed the boys out of the lab.

-Dino-Charge-

Kendall looked down at the cup of tea being offered to her by Heckyl. They had been getting home at the same time, and seeing the cut on her head, Heckyl offered to have Kendall over for a bit before they both called it a day. Having a vague memory of rejecting him earlier, Kendall accepting his invitation and allowed the boys to head into her apartment while she spent some time with Heckyl.

He was always polite and always ready to listen, and something about him drew Kendall in. When she was with him, she felt more able to take risks and try things she had never done before. He had already convinced her to sing publicly. Kendall wondered what else he could draw out of her. What else could she discover about herself that couldn't be done when she was busy at work or busy with her responsibilities as a Ranger?

"Break ins, huh?" he asked, taking a seat next to her on the couch. Kendall nodded her head.

"I'm not sure," she clarified. "All I know is some strange stuff has been going on in the museum and I... I can't figure it out."

"And you hate that," Heckyl chuckled. "Do you think maybe you're overworked?"

"I've had less work to do lately than I have in the last year," Kendall said. "Things are slowing down. For the first time in forever I've been feeling like I can take my time on stuff. How is that overworked?"

"You decline me more often than I'd like because of work," he reminded her. "I've been meaning to take you back to Karaoke Night. There's actually a contest next week. I think, between the two of us, we'd kill it."

"Thanks, but..."

"Don't refuse me," Heckyl begged her. "Not yet, at least."

He turned on some music and got to his feet, inviting Kendall to take his hand and join him. "It's not a formal thing. You can decide to go the day of. Until then, what if we just got you comfortable with the music."

"Heckyl, I..."

"What I love about music is how relaxed it can make you," he told her, smiling softly as he wrapped his arms around her and began to sway to the soft beat. "Whenever I feel like I'm losing control, I just turn on some music and I let myself go."

Kendall tried resisting. Work got her feeling relaxed. When she finally made a breakthrough, or reached the end of an experiment or completed an invention; that was when she felt the most relaxed. She had no problem believing music could help keep Heckyl calm, but it wasn't the same for her.

Yet, she felt herself relaxing in his arms, and found herself feeling more and more comfortable as the music took over. In fact, she almost felt as comfortable as she was around Chase.

Suddenly, she stopped swaying with Heckyl and gently pushed him back. She shook her head, looking hurt. Heckyl leaned in closer, softly holding her arm.

"Is everything okay?"

"I can't do this," she said, looking up at him. "If you think this is a date or something..."

"Why not?" Heckyl asked, looking a little disappointed. "Is there someone else?"

"I... no... I mean..."

"Who?" Heckyl asked before he frowned slightly. "Don't tell me it's that Kiwi I rescued. I thought you said you were just friends."

"We are, but he..."

"What do you think is going to happen between the two of you?" Heckyl asked her. "Isn't he gone? Back in New Zealand with his family? If he really loved you, wouldn't he have stayed?"

Kendall looked up, horrified by those words.

" _Kendall, that's it!"_ her mother shouted, dragging her by the arm up the stairs and into her bedroom before throwing her on the bed. _"You're grounded!"_

" _But mom, I was just..."_

" _Just what? Huh, Kendall. What exactly is it you think you were trying to do?"_

" _I just wanted to know where he is,"_ she said, pointing to the notebook her mother held in the other hand. _"He's been gone a long time and..."_

" _You think some stupid letters are going to bring him back?"_

" _Yes?"_ Kendall flinched as her mother tossed the notebook across the room, and the seven year old had to remind herself that this was the alcohol's doing. It was only the middle of the afternoon, and Kendall had just gotten back to school, but her mother had already drunk a couple of bottles of wine and wasn't thinking straight. Kendall knew later she would have to put her mother to bed, and was looking forward to not having to tip-toe around her house so much.

" _The man's a bastard!"_ her mother yelled. _"He's a dirt bag, a lazy, useless husband and a dick of a father!"_

" _No, mom..."_

" _You know what,"_ her mother growled. _"You want to write to him, go ahead."_

She walked over to the other side of the room, where the notebook had fallen. She swayed a little under the influence of her drink, and couldn't pick up the notebook on the first try. However, when she did, she walked back over to Kendall and shoved it into her daughter's arms. _"Write to him. Write to him and learn firsthand that people only break your heart. But keep this in mind, Kendall. If he really loved you, wouldn't he have stayed?"_

"I'm here," Heckyl told her. "I'm sticking around. I don't have plans to travel across the world. All I want to do is be here, to be with you. Haven't I earned something?"

"It's complicated..."

"People who care stay. I'm sure you've figured that out," he said, as though he could read her mind and Kendall began to doubt what she had with the other Rangers. At the first sign of calm, anyone who could had packed up and left. Sure, they kept in touch, but they weren't around. Kendall remembered waking up earlier that day in the lab after a test gone wrong, and knew she never would have woken up alone had the Rangers been around. They would have found her, tended to her, made sure she saw the doctor, kept their eye on her afterwards, and they would have been able to explain why her memory was so fuzzy afterwards.

But they were gone. All they needed from her was a quick chat every few days and the longer they were gone, the more distracted their chats were. It didn't feel as sincere as when they were around. Even Ivan and Koda, who were living with her, seemed more distant now.

Perhaps they were moving on. Perhaps it had only been a conditional type of love. They had been Rangers. They needed each other. Their lives were in each other's hands, and most of all, they were counting on her to stay safe. Maybe, their love and friendship had been for survival. The more they made her care for them, the more effort she put into keeping them safe. The more of herself she put into everything.

And it seemed to work. Kendall had noticed working harder and putting in longer hours the more she started to see the Rangers as friends. In fact, even now that the danger was gone, she was working herself to the bone trying to ensure they would stay safe. And what were they doing for her? Video chats a couple of times a week, telling her how amazing their lives were when she wasn't around, never once mentioning how they wished she could be with them. Chase did but the longer he was away, the less he made it known. At first Kendall assumed it was because he had said it so often, he thought it was always implied. Now, maybe, she was starting to think it was because he was realizing he didn't actually need her.

He didn't care. None of them did. Kendall wiped the tears from her eyes as Heckyl pulled her back in.

"I love you, Kendall Morgan," he said, and she didn't care that they had only been friends a couple of months. She felt the sincerity dripping from his voice and chose to believe it because if she didn't have him then she would have no friends. "And I promise, I need you more than you could ever imagine."

He put his hand under chin, tilting her head upwards before pressing his lips against hers. She didn't mind and deepened the kiss by putting her hand behind his head and pulling him in. She had no idea how it happened, but suddenly she wanted and needed him more than she could imagine.


	3. Blind Trust

Koda growled, watching from the kitchen as Heckyl and Kendall shared lunch in the cafe. He got a bad feeling where their friendship was concerned, but couldn't explain it. And it wasn't due to his limited vocabulary. Koda couldn't understand his distrust himself. All he knew was that his gut was telling him something was wrong.

And his gut had never been wrong before.

"Perhaps it is a tinge of jealousy?" Ivan asked, bringing over empty plates to be cleaned.

"Jealousy?"

"It is to be assumed," Ivan nodded. "A fair damsel rescues a caveman, takes him under her wing and teaches him about the modern world, only for the two of them to eventually fall in love."

Koda stuck out his tongue. It was true; he had once considered getting intimate with Kendall. However, that feeling had long passed. Back then, Kendall was the only woman he interacted with, and he had been so desperate for companionship he would have been willing to do anything. But as he got acquainted with the new world, he learned there was so much more he had to discover and any feelings he had for anyone had to take a back seat. First, he needed to find where he stood and a new purpose for himself beyond his Ranger duties. As he began discovering the new world, Kendall became less of the person he wanted to start his own family and his new tribe with and more of a best friend – his confidant.

In short, he didn't like her that way. He wasn't jealous she had a boyfriend. He wasn't jealous at all. He just had a bad feeling.

"Maybe Ivan like Kendall," Koda retorted the best way he knew how. "Fair uh... damsel rescue knight and teach him about modern world too."

"I rescued myself," Ivan corrected, but he could see Koda's point. "And I'll take that as a no, you don't like her."

"Kendall is friend. Heckyl is not."

Ivan looked out to the dining room and nodded his head. "I see your point. We haven't done much to get to know the gentleman."

"Don't want to."

"Lady Kendall enjoys his company," Ivan reasoned. "Do we not owe it to her to give Heckyl a fair chance?"

Koda shrugged. This time, Ivan had the good point. He was just about to acknowledge that when he saw in the corner of his eye Kendall and Heckyl were leaving. The feeling in his stomach grew. He wanted to go after them, to find an excuse for Kendall to stay close, but Ivan grabbed his arm.

"They like each other," he said. "And if Lady Kendall does find herself in trouble, she has the purple energem on her side. You need to let go."

Kendall had been the one to take Koda in, but for the longest time he had been protecting her. He couldn't help it: he was big, strong, and had the power of the blue energem to give him an advantage over anyone who tried to hurt her. She was the scientist and completely powerless. She needed protecting.

But not anymore. Now, she was just as strong as Koda (minus the caveman strength). She could look after herself. With a sigh, Koda let her go.

-Dino-Charge-

Kendall followed Heckyl down the street, believing he was taking her to a nearby club. He had a gig and was expected to perform just after lunch. Their meal had run a little long so they were now rushing to get there on time. Since being a singer didn't pay very well, Heckyl needed to impress if he wanted to get invited back.

He pulled her down an alley. Kendall made nothing of it. Since he wasn't a big time singer, he often performed in strange, underground placed. However, when he stopped and turned to her, she got the feeling this was something different. He pulled the handkerchief out from his pocket and held it out.

"Cover your eyes," he said, smiling and Kendall couldn't refuse. She turned around, letting him cover her eyes.

"Why?" she asked as he blinded her. Heckyl chuckled softly then kissed her neck.

"It's a surprise," he whispered softly in her ear. Kendall smiled as he took her by the arm and led her off. She had no idea where he was taking her, but she was excited.

They walked a little bit, though it couldn't have been far when Heckyl suddenly let her go. Kendall stayed still, hoping he would be back soon. A minute or so went by and Kendall began to worry.

"Heckyl?" she called and reached up to the blindfold. Finally, she felt his touch again, discouraging her from removing the handkerchief.

"Ah, ah, not yet," he said and took her by the wrist. "Alright, close your eyes."

"I'm blindfolded," she reminded him, then frowned. "Wait, are we there? I don't hear any people."

"Just, close your eyes. Relax."

"Heckyl, I am relaxed," Kendall said. "And blindfolded and... seriously, where are we?"

"We've got a bit of time," he said. "So... why don't we get to know each other?"

"Blindfolded?"

"We'll listen to each other's words," Heckyl said. "Believe me, it makes a world of a difference. You can learn so much about someone simply by listening."

"Is that how you got so good at it?" Kendall asked.

"Of course. You tell me you have trouble with trust. This is what I've done and I've never been betrayed. Don't you think it's worth a shot?"

Kendall gave a little nod, feeling herself give in like she always did around Heckyl. Something about him just seemed so honest and trustworthy she couldn't help but do as he asked. She closed her eyes, even though she was still blindfolded and listened to his words. He first asked questions about her background: where and how she grew up, the things she liked, how it felt being a foster child. Why she ran away from home when she turned eighteen and what brought her back. The more he spoke, the more honest Kendall felt she could be. Her guard was down. Maybe even all the way down. Any barriers she had, even the ones the other Rangers had told her were healthy were gone.

Then he started to ask about the Rangers: he asked personal questions regarding their interest and their families. Kendall answered to the best of her abilities, but admittedly it wasn't much. She knew Tyler was searching for his father, and his mother had stayed home, but she found she had never quite asked him where home was. As such, she had no idea where his mother was or even who she was. She knew a lot about his father, but Heckyl didn't seem to care much about a man who had disappeared a decade before.

She knew Shelby loved dinosaurs and had come to the museum in hopes of getting ahead in a career she hadn't even started yet. However, outside of that, Kendall knew very little about Shelby's personal life. She had mentioned having parents, but never where they lived or what they did. Shelby didn't care to speak about them, and Kendall wasn't the type of person to ask. She had revealed that Shelby had a huge crush on Tyler, which seemed to ease Heckyl's frustrations a little bit, though Kendall wasn't sure why, or why he was frustrated at all. Still, she kept going.

She talked about how Riley lived on a farm, but didn't know where exactly the farm was. She mentioned how he had a brother, a mother and a dog, all of whom he loved, but Kendall had never met them, and could only give generic descriptions like how his mother was kind, his brother was hardworking and Rubik was... well, a dog. Those answers should have been enough for Heckyl, but again, he seem frustrated by her lack of specifics.

Drawing out any information about Ivan and Koda was like pulling teeth. Heckyl didn't seem to care when Kendall mentioned they were a knight from the medieval period and a caveman from the Pleistocene respectively. He seemed to want more, and Kendall really couldn't share. Koda had a brother, Taku, who had long since passed, and no other family to speak of. Hell, he had no other living relatives that he or anyone else knew of. Same with Ivan. He was a knight from 800 years ago and no longer had any family or people he loved. Only his teammates.

But Chase, Kendall spoke on and on about Chase. About how he was from a small town in New Zealand and lived with his mother and sister. How his father had passed away shortly before he came to the United States. She talked about how Chase used to flirt with all the girls who walked into the museum, but how he always stopped after being turned down. She even mentioned how the flirting stopped once she starting to grab his attention. She shared with Heckyl how Chase eventually admitted to her that he liked her, but that he was willing to preserve their friendship rather than pursue a relationship she wasn't ready for. She talked all about the times he had gone out of his way to help her, and sometimes even went above the call of duty. She went on about how he cared for the things she loved. Most of all, she talked about how she felt safe and warm, and like nothing bad could happen to her when he was near. Even when they were just chatting through the computer, Kendall felt like nothing could hurt her because he was watching her.

Talking so much about Chase had eased Heckyl a bit, until he tried to get more information on the others. It was almost as though he thought now that she had opened up about one Ranger; she would spill on the others. But Kendall had no more to say. Heckyl knew everything she did about the Rangers.

"What about the lab?" he asked her. "All your stuff?"

"My stuff?"

"Your computer, the chargers... what are they, exactly?"

Kendall spilled, telling him how she had invented the chargers to harness the power of the energems. She told him how the chargers could be used to provide the Rangers with more power, as the energy could be concentrated, or how they could help the Rangers summon weapons. She told him about all the chargers, how each one had a specific set of powers that helped the Rangers fight off the aliens that wanted the energems.

She shouldn't have been telling him this, but she did.

"Energems, you mean... like this?" he asked and Kendall felt him reach into her shirt to touch her energem. As soon as he did, something washed over her and she was suddenly very aware of what she had been saying. She grabbed the energem with one hand, pushed him away from the other and then ripped the blindfold off.

"Who the hell are you?" she growled. Heckyl looked to her with a smirk and she noticed his hands were glowing.

"You were way too easy," he chuckled. "Though, I guess I did underestimate you. I had no intention of you finding out so soon. There's so much I want to ask you still."

Kendall growled and lunged at Heckyl, hoping to take him out. But suddenly, she found herself flying backwards into a wall. She hit the wall, then the ground hard, groaning in pain. As she pushed herself up, she looked over to Heckyl and saw him closing a cage door. She rushed to her feet, hoping to stop him and hoping to get out of her cell, but the door slammed shut and locked her in her face. Kendall tried to reach out to grab Heckyl, but he was just out of reach.

Suddenly, the purple energem was ripped from her neck and flew into his hands. Kendall's eyes were wide. It seemed Cammy had been right in a way when she assumed he was a magician.

"What are you?" she asked, reaching out for her energem but Heckyl shook his head and held it just out of her reach. Kendall tried to grab it, but the energem slipped just past her fingers every time.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked her in return, smirking cockily before turning his back on her and walking away. "And purple makes one," he tucked the energem in his pocket.

Kendall rattled the cell door, hoping it would give but knowing it wouldn't. Then she looked around. The cell was small, it was cold and it was empty. She had no idea where Heckyl had gone but he wouldn't stick around. She also had no idea where she was, if she was even still on Earth.

She reached to her side, hoping to pull out her Dino Com but it wasn't there. She frowned; she always had it on her, even now just in case. She had it on her when she and Heckyl had left the museum after lunch. She then started to search for her morpher, trying to summon it, but she couldn't.

She was helpless.

"Dammit," she muttered. Whoever he was, whatever he was, Heckyl was good. She sat down in her cell, hoping for help to come soon. Koda at least would worry if he didn't see her for a few hours. He was bound to begin searching. She only hoped he could find her.


	4. Time Is Abstract

Heckyl slipped a tiny bowl of soup through the bars of her cell then took away the bowl he had previously given her. It was full, but the soup was cold and he thought she would appreciate something warm. From the back of the cell, Kendall eyed him furiously. She refused to get up. She refused to eat despite her obvious hunger and the lack of strength it was leading to. It made him smile how she thought she could wait this out. How she thought she could expect help.

"Your parents are worried," he said, drawing out a low growl from her as he revealed he not only knew who they were, but how to find them and he knew what they were feeling. He was obviously getting too close to them for her liking and there was nothing she could do about it. It frustrated her, which Heckyl enjoyed. "The little one: Cammy, she won't stop crying, you know."

He thought mentioning her sister would get her going. It usually did. A couple of times, Kendall had spilled her soup trying to get him for mentioning Cammy. This time, she could barely move, too weak to do anything more than wish she could hurt him.

"As for the others," he continued. "I told you, if they loved you, they would have stayed."

"Take that back," she growled.

"You're gone, and they don't seem to care one bit," he said. "It's been a week, Kendall. You're smart. Figure it out."

"I doubt I'm very easy to find."

"To people who cared, you would be," Heckyl chuckled and then held up her energem. "Aren't these easy to track? With all that technology you have in the lab, someone should be able to figure something out, right?"

"Give that back!"

"Come and take it," he said, placing the energem down inside her cell. Kendall tried to push herself up but couldn't do it. As soon as she tried to put any weight on her legs she fell over. Heckyl watched, a sick smirk on his face, before he opened the cell door. He left the energem where it was, but picked up the bowl of soup. He set it down before her, then helped her to sit up. He placed himself behind her, putting his arms around her as he picked up the soup and began to feed her.

"You're no good to me dead," he said. Kendall refused the first bite, but his hand glowed and suddenly she couldn't control herself anymore. She ate as much as he fed her, though the food made her stomach turn. When he was done feeding her, he reached into his pocket and took out the charger he had stolen from her lab.

"How do I finish this?" he asked. Kendall didn't answer him so his hand glowed again.

"I don't know," she answered and felt his muscles clench.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a work in progress," she said. "I was figuring it out as I went. I didn't think anyone would need it so soon."

"Tell me how to finish it!" Heckyl growled. Kendall shook her head.

"I can't."

He pushed her forward, into the cold concrete ground before getting up. He took the energem then slammed the door to her cell shut before turning to face her.

"You will spend an eternity here," he told her. "So the sooner you give me exactly what I need..."

"I can't tell you anything I don't know," Kendall reminded him, having already figured out that was exactly why he had chosen her over all the other Rangers. He knew about the energems so clearly he wanted them. Why would he bother wasting his time on anyone but the person who knew the most about them? He could make people do what he wanted, so why not get the person with the most power under his control. Kendall had access codes, she had the ability to build weapons and harness the power of the energems. She knew her teammates and all the secrets the Rangers had. And anything she didn't know, she could find out.

But though Heckyl's powers seemed limitless, there was only so far they could take him. It didn't matter how much he controlled her, how long he kept her alive or what he did to her: if she didn't know the answer to his question, she couldn't give him what he wanted.

"If you think you've been in here a while, think again," he growled, turning to leave. "Your hell has only just begun."

-Dino-Charge-

Koda didn't know how to tell time. He went to work when he was told, and he punched out when someone said he was done. However, he knew the more time he spent doing something, the more time passed.

He also knew Kendall leaving around lunch time and not coming home, despite it being well into the night, was worrisome. Even Ivan, who had managed to keep calm for most of the day was pacing the room, hoping that at any second Kendall would walk through the door and like a worried parent, he could question her on her whereabouts.

It had only been half a day, and the boys were driving themselves crazy with worry.

"We call others?" Koda asked. Ivan shook his head.

"For what purpose?" he asked. "Lady Kendall is a big girl. She is just... a little late."

"Kendall is never late," Koda shook his head. "Bad things happen when she is."

"We could check with the boyfriend," Ivan suggested and Koda nodded his head. Together, they left Kendall's apartment and walked down the hall. They knocked on Heckyl's door. He opened soon after.

"Is this the big brother talk?" he asked. "I assure you both, my intentions with your boss and roommate are noble."

"Where is Kendall?" Koda asked, peeking into the room and getting a sniff. He could smell her. She seemed so close.

"I don't know," Heckyl frowned. "The gig ended. I had some fans ask for my autograph, but she said she had to get back to work. You mean she never made it back?"

Heckyl seemed worried, which frustrated and relieved Koda at the same time. If Heckyl was worried, then he hadn't done anything to hurt Kendall. But if he didn't know where she was, then something had happened to her.

Then Koda sniffed the air again while Ivan questioned him. He could smell Kendall on Heckyl and since they were dating that was no surprise. However, the smell was too strong to be lingering from lunch. They had just been together. Koda's gut told him so, and his gut was never wrong.

"Where Kendall?" he asked again, despite Heckyl insisting to Ivan he hadn't seen her in hours.

"Questioning me about it won't get you anywhere. Look, I know you're not exactly from around here but when someone goes missing, you call the police."

Koda growled, grabbed Heckyl by the shirt and lifted him off the ground. He carried him to the nearest wall and slammed him in.

"You see Kendall last. Where is she?" he demanded. When Heckyl tried to shrug, Koda threw him across the room. Heckyl landed on his coffee table, smashing thought the glass and cutting his arms and face.

"Let us leave," Ivan said, grabbing Koda before he could do anymore harm and then whispering a word of apology to Heckyl. He pulled Koda down the hall, passing Kendall's apartment.

"Where we go?" Koda asked.

"The lab," Ivan suggested. "There's got to be something there that'll tell us where she is."

"Heckyl know," Koda insisted but Ivan continued to pull him along.

-Dino-charge-

Kendall wasn't sure how long it had been since she had last seen Heckyl. A day, two? Maybe even more. She had been alone in the cell a long time. So much so, she actually found herself longing for his company.

Until he returned and disgust washed over her. But as he stepped closer, she saw something on his face that made her smile. It seemed he had been involved in a confrontation, and since he had proven he could be powerful, there was only one person she knew who could overpower him.

"Koda..."

"This?" he pointed to his face at the cuts he suffered from being thrown by the caveman into his coffee table. "You think this has anything to do with your friends? I'm the boyfriend of a missing person. I'm supposed to be upset."

"So you did this to yourself?"

"I'll admit, a bar fight got a little out of hand," Heckyl said. "I don't want everyone to see my cards so soon."

Kendall knew he was lying, though she was nothing she could do about it. She just nodded her head, before she felt him getting access. She saw his hands were blue and sighed.

"I don't know how to finish the charger. You'd have to let me work on it on my own."

"Useless," he answered her as he turned to walk away. Suddenly he stopped. "What if Cammy..."

"Don't touch her."

"You tell me exactly what I need to know, and I won't," Heckyl threatened.

"I told you, I don't know!" Kendall shouted, trying to find the energy to get to her feet but she was too weak.

"Then she dies," Heckyl said and walked away. Kendall didn't see him again for days.


	5. What's It Worth?

He dragged the limp, little body towards the cell before dropping it. He kicked the bars, pulling Kendall from whatever state she was in: somewhere between dead and asleep, but still alive enough to know what was going on. If only she would eat the soup he served her willingly.

"I make good on my promises," he said, pointing to the little body. Kendall's eyes opened. It took her a minute to focus her vision but when she did, she suddenly found renewed strength.

She sat up, whispering, "Cammy..."

"I assure you, it was far from painless," he said, pointing to the multiple cuts, burns and visible bone breaks on her body. "Now, tell me..."

"I can't," Kendall couldn't even bring herself to cry. She had no energy left to do anything, though inside she was torn to pieces.

"Still?" Heckyl asked, his hands turning blue but Kendall couldn't feel him inside her head. He was getting ready to do something else.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but her eyes were focused on Cammy. Heckyl growled. Since capturing her, he had gotten nowhere. He had expected her to have more information: more pull on the Rangers. Yet, only two of them were actively searching for her, the rest were just getting updates and being worried from wherever they were in the country. He knew she hadn't disappeared for too long from them, but the way Fury and Sledge had made the Rangers out, they were a tight-knit bunch. Hurting one should have forced the others' hands. He knew getting to Kendall once had earned Fury six energems. Why wasn't he getting the same results? By now, he should have had them all. He should have known all.

"Fine," he growled and his hands glowed a lighter blue. Finally, Kendall felt him in her head. Heckyl watched her grow weaker before him, first unable to hold her head up, then unable to keep her eyes open. Finally, he pulled his face from her mind. She would now never be able to tell anyone who had hurt her. However, he would disappear. The human brain was a tricky thing. There was no telling whether or not she would recognize him if she saw him again. But he would never be far. Just because he wouldn't be seen, didn't mean he would be gone completely.

Finally, he dumped her and the energem somewhere he was sure the Rangers would find her: her lab. He didn't want one energem. He wanted them all.

-Dino-Charge-

"We'll turn on her scans and see if we can't find the purple energem," Ivan explained on the elevator ride down to the Dino Lab. He was feeling pressed for time. Kendall hadn't been missing a full day, but as Koda insisted, this wasn't like her. She was never one to take off without telling the other Rangers, especially if she planned on being gone a long time. There was no reason to believe anything bad would happen to her since all the known aliens were gone, but Ivan wasn't going to take any chances.

When the doors opened, Ivan and Koda rushed out, ready to get to work. However, they were stopped when, slumped over in her chair, seemingly passed out, with her energem on the desk right next to her head was Kendall. Koda sniffed the air, looking for signs of someone else having trespassed into the Dino Lab while Ivan rushed to Kendall's side, checking for injuries. There were no visible signs of damage and Kendall was conscious, but barely. She responded with a groan when he touched her arm, but nothing more.

"She seems fine," Ivan assured Koda, using the word loosely as the caveman did his own workup of the scientist. "Tired, but, fine."

"Kendall, wake up," Koda called, but she couldn't open her eyes. He took her in his arms, feeling she was lighter than before. He couldn't understand it: she hadn't been gone a full day, there were no clear cut signs of trauma, yet Kendall couldn't hold herself up in the slightest. She hung limp in Koda's arms, practically begging to be reunited with the floor.

"She may need water," Ivan suggested, but Koda wanted more for her.

"Doctor," he insisted. Ivan, who was already picking up a bottle of water turned to him. In the corner of his eye he saw the energem on the table, away from Kendall's neck. Unless Kendall was using the energem for an experiment, the Rangers had been told never to remove their energems. They were safest when they were around their hosts' necks. It wasn't a farfetched idea that Kendall had passed out while working on her energem. However, Ivan knew there had to be more to the story.

"Doctor, yes," he told Koda. "But no. She's got the technology here. We better use it."

"Not know how," Koda shrugged. He only knew the basics, like running scans for energems and tracking monsters. He knew needles could deliver medicine and they were pointy, but not much else. He wasn't exactly the team doctor.

"Keeper?" Ivan called, glancing around the lab for the only alien he had learned to trust. Surely Keeper had to know enough to help Kendall recover. Surely the alien wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"Right here," Keeper announced, startling Ivan and Koda with his presence as usual. He was standing by a cot, his staff in hand, ready to look Kendall over to the best of his abilities. Not knowing what else to do, Koda brought Kendall over and let Keeper work his magic.

-Dino-Charge-

"You're leaving?" Chloe asked, looking to her big brother as he once again started to pack his bags. "But you just got home."

"I know," Chase nodded, unable to look his sister in the eyes. He had come home just after Christmas and had intended on staying a long time before visiting the other side of the world once more. He had been away a long time and knew his family expected him to stay with them to make up for it. But once he heard from Ivan and Koda that Kendall hadn't come back from a lunch date, he knew he had to see for himself what had happened. It wasn't like Kendall to just disappear and when she did, it was never good. "A friend back home needs me."

"Kendall?" Chloe asked, rolling her eyes a little bit. Since Chase had come home, all he could talk about was Kendall. It was easy for the ten year old and her mother to pick up on the fact that Chase was madly in love.

"Yes, Kendall."

"Can't she take care of herself?"

"Most of the time," Chase nodded his head. "But she gets into a bit of trouble now and then."

"So?"

"Paleontology is dangerous work," Chase said, but his sister rolled her eyes again.

"I thought she owned a museum."

"Both."

Chloe didn't believe him, despite it being true. Kendall was a paleontologist and she did own a museum. The only lie was what brought the danger to her job. Chase couldn't bring himself to tell anyone in his family what he was really up to in the United States.

"You'll be back soon? For real this time?"

"Depends on how long she needs me."

"What about me?" Chloe asked. "You promised you would stay home for a few months at least! Chase..."

Chase got down on his knee, held his sister gently by the arms and looked her in the eyes, "They need me back there. Kendall needs me. If she didn't, you know I'd be right here with you."

"So all that stuff you said when you came back..."

"I meant it. Chloe, you're still my favourite girl."

"Kendall is," Chloe sighed. "All you had to do was stay home for the summer. You can't even do that."

Chase sighed. His sister wanted him to stay. It was understandable. He couldn't blame her for being mad. He was letting her down big time. However, the situation with Kendall was possibly life or death. Despite wanting to stay at home with his sister and his mother, Chase knew he was needed in Amber Beach. Even if Kendall turned up alive and well after going off on a walk and forgot to tell Koda and Ivan, Chase needed to be there. If it was anything less than that, and something had happened, Chase would never forgive himself.

"I love you," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I'll send you post cards and emails and we'll talk, all the time. And if it works out, I won't be gone long."

"That's what you said last time."

"Chloe..."

"Just go," she turned away from him, arms crossed, face twisted into a sad pout. Chase ruffled her hair then made his way to the front door where his mother was waiting. She too seemed disappointed, but she had a more understanding look on her face.

"She'll understand when she's older," she assured him. "Boys are still a little icky to her now."

"Mum, really, it's an emergency."

"With the woman you love, it always is," she chuckled and kissed his cheek. "For your sake, and hers, I'm hoping you're flying over there for no reason."

"I wouldn't be going if I thought there was no reason. She needs me, mum."

"I get it," his mother smiled. "Just make sure, when you do come home, you bring her with you. I'm excited to meet the woman who is finally getting you to settle down. Even if it is on the other side of the world."

Chase sighed. At least his mother understood. Being back in New Zealand was great. He loved being with his family in the home he grew up in. He loved that he no longer stood out as the outsider because of the way he spoke. However, something had been missing from the moment he left the Ranger Christmas Party.

"You'll explain to Chloe?" he asked. She nodded her head.

"I will," she promised. "No, go. Make sure Kendall's alright."

-Dino-Charge-

" _Come on, mom. Time for bed,"_ Kendall announced softly, taking the bottle of wine out of her mother's hands before she could pour herself another glass.

" _You don't tell me what to do, young lady,"_ her mother said, reaching for the bottle but she was so drunk she couldn't see straight. This was when it was easiest for Kendall to put her mother to bed. When she couldn't get the bottle, she would grumble in disappointment. Kendall would promise to bring it upstairs to her room if she went to bed. Her mother, with her help, would make her way to the bed, lay down, and then before Kendall could leave the room she would pass out.

It was the same thing that night. Kendall tucked her mother in, wished her a good night then tip-toed out to the sound of heavy snoring. Kendall was getting really sick of the routine, but so was her mother. More and more she talked about putting an end to it. Fourteen year old Kendall was hopeful that meant her mother would stop drinking soon; unaware her mother had another idea in mind.

Once her mother was asleep, Kendall began her own bedtime routine. She made herself a snack then looked through the trash. Every day she mailed letters to the father who had left her eight years before. On a regular basis, she would get letters in the mail. To date, they had all been hers, returned, unopened, but Kendall held onto hope that one day, her father would read her letter and come back into her life. She had long since given up on the idea of her parents getting together. Now, she just wanted to see him. She just wanted to know he cared.

She found a couple of letters in the trash and pulled them out. One was covered in spaghetti sauce, but that didn't cover up the fact that the letter, like all the others so far, had been returned unopened. Kendall would have thought by now she would have been numb to her father's rejection, but it still hurt every time. She finished her snack with tears in her eyes, then brushed her teeth and tucked herself into bed.

" _It's what people do,"_ she said, repeating the words her mother said on almost a daily basis. _"They break your heart. I shouldn't get upset over it."_

No matter how many times she told herself she shouldn't be upset, she still felt the ache in her heart. Every night a letter was returned unopened, Kendall softly cried herself to sleep, wishing she had no one in her life that could disappoint her.


	6. Time Passed

Chase shook his head, frowning deeply, unable to understand what Keeper was telling him. He knew the flight from New Zealand to the United States was a long one. However, the days weren't adding up.

"I talked with her yesterday... or two days ago or... whatever," Chase said. "What do you mean she's not eaten in days?"

"Kendall eat yesterday," Koda answered, just as confused as Chase. "I make her lunch. She eat with Heckyl in cafe."

Keeper couldn't give anything more than a shrug. He too knew it had been only a day or so since Kendall had last had a bite to eat, but based on his own assessment of her, Kendall was severely malnourished – as though she hadn't had anything nutritious to eat in days, maybe even weeks.

But that wasn't what concerned him most. Keeper couldn't pinpoint it, but told the Rangers there was something off in Kendall's mind. It was almost as though someone had tampered with it. It didn't seem likely. Keeper had chosen her partially because she was strong willed. She wouldn't change her stance or believe simply because someone suggested she did. She was very strong minded and that was never going to change.

"Her injuries seem almost supernatural," Keeper explained.

"Supernatural?" Ivan asked. "As in sorcery?"

Keeper could only nod in response. "I'm afraid there is nothing more I can do."

"No injuries," Koda shook his head, pointing to Kendall, indicating there were no bruises or cuts.

"Someone mind fucked her, big guy," Chase explained. "Kind of like how we get you to do stuff for burgers, but worse."

"Mind fuck?"

"Yeah. But don't tell her I taught you that word," Chase nodded. He turned to Keeper. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Keeper waved his staff over Kendall. Almost instantly some of the colour returned to her skin and she seemed a lot healthier than before. But Chase knew this was only the beginning and he was glad he had left New Zealand.

"I've reversed whatever spell is affecting her physically," Keeper said. "I cannot predict nor alter her mental state when she wakes."

"She is not starving?"

"Not to the extent she was," Keeper assured Ivan and the boys. "Though she has still been gone a while without food or drinks. Have something ready."

"I make burgers," Koda said. Chase grabbed his arm, shaking his head.

"Something lighter. Start her off easy," he suggested and Koda compromised, saying he would go make her some fries. Chase let him go. He was hoping for something a little healthier but knew Koda was doing all he could to help. While the caveman was gone, Ivan worked on Kendall's laptop, doing what he could to figure out whom or what had done this to Kendall. Chase, meanwhile, sat by her side, holding her hand, knowing she would be in a bit of shock when she woke up.

Eventually, she did wake. It was slow. Her eyes opened for a split second before they were shut again. It took a while before they opened again, but this time she had a look around. Chase noted the utter confusion and so squeezed her hand, letting he know he was close and she was safe. But she jumped at his touch, pulling away as much as she could.

"Shh, Kendall, it's okay," he promised, standing over her with the best smile he could muster. "It's me. It's Chase."

It took her a minute to focus her eyes. When she seemed to be looking at him, she still had a confused look on her face. Chase chuckled softly and picked up her glasses, putting them on her face. He was happy to see she looked a little relieved when she recognized him.

"Chase... what are you... where am I?"

"Back in the lab," he told her. "I I came the moment I heard. How are you feeling?"

"Liar," Kendall muttered, bringing a frown to his face.

"What?"

"You're lying," Kendall said. "No one came."

Chase looked around the room. Sure, Tyler, Shelby, Riley and the Prince weren't there. Kendall's parents hadn't turned up either, though it wasn't likely they knew she was missing. She didn't visit them every single day. But he had come over. He was at her side as soon as he could, just in case she needed him. He would continue to be by her side until he was absolutely sure she was well and safe once more. And then, he would only leave to assure his sister she wasn't an afterthought to him. He didn't want to leave Kendall. If possible, he would take her with him, just to be extra cautious.

"We acted as soon as we could," Chase promised her. "Ivan and Koda even resorted to using the computers just before they found you. We did everything we could in the short time you were missing."

"Short time?" Kendall frowned. She had no idea how long she had been kept for, but even with hours feeling like days and days feeling like weeks, she knew she hadn't just been missing a day or two. She had been gone a few weeks, maybe even a month, easily. Her friends should have all been here, worried sick. Hell, they had plenty of time to track her down and pull her from her cell. But no one showed up. She distinctly remembered no one coming for her, and it broke her heart. She turned away from Chase, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was gone for weeks."

Chase frowned. That made no sense, though he wasn't about to contradict her. Keeper said someone had messed with Kendall, playing with her mind in a supernatural way. The last thing she needed now was someone telling her she was mistaken.

Then he remembered how Keeper had tended to her, saying he reversed the physical damage done to her; the damage that seemed to come from not having eaten anything substantial in what appeared to be weeks, despite disappearing the afternoon before after having eaten a full meal. Thinking about it a little more, Chase started to think maybe they were both right. Maybe Kendall had only been gone about a day, but at the same time, disappeared for weeks. Maybe, despite having Ivan and Koda so worried for her that they call the whole team asking for whatever help they could offer, and Chase flying around the world to be by her side, no one had shown up for Kendall. Perhaps, both realities were true.

"Who did this to you?" he asked her, trying to be as gentle and soft as he could. He understood that whatever had happened had weakened her mind.

"If you cared, you wouldn't have left."

"I came back because I care," he assured her. "Kendall, it's been weeks," he decided to play in her reality, just for now, "Please, you have to have seen the guy, or thing, at least once. Who is it?"

Kendall shook her head, screwing her eyes shut. She remembered the cell and having her energem taken from her. She remembered giving up information about the Rangers, the energems and the chargers against her will by some powerful, mind warping force. She remembered not having the answer her captor was looking for, yet being asked incessantly about it. She remember how he dug through her mind, hoping to find what he wanted, yet coming up short. She remembered being so hungry she would eat her arm, yet rejecting the soup he offered until he had to spoon feed her, again using whatever control he had over her mind and body. She remembered how he spoke of her family missing her, but the Rangers not bothering to rescue her.

Then she remembered Cammy. She remembered watching him dump her little sister's lifeless body in front of her, hoping that would convince her to share information she didn't have. He had killed her sister, yet she couldn't remember his face.

She didn't think it could anymore, but her heart shattered as she burst into tears. Chase was hesitant, but wrapped his arms around her, wanting to be of comfort. She tried to pull away, but he was stronger. She wanted nothing to do with him or anyone else who disappointed her, but she needed the warmth. She needed human contact.

"He killed Cammy," she cried to no one but herself. Ivan, Chase, and Koda, who was returning with a plate of fries, heard her. Chase grew concerned, unaware Cammy had been in any danger to begin with and glare to Ivan and Koda for having left that information out. Ivan was baffled. Kendall had been the one missing. Her life had been in danger. How could Cammy be dead?

Koda didn't bonder these questions. Hearing someone had killed Cammy he sprang into action, racing out of the museum and down the street. He ran all the way to the Fisher house and knocked on the door. Mr. Fisher answered because it was late and Cammy and Mrs. Fisher were already in bed.

"Cammy," he got out breathlessly. Mr. Fisher frowned.

"It's the middle of the night."

"Cammy is hurt?" he asked. Mr. Fisher continued to frown.

"I hope not. I tucked her in hours ago."

"Please, I see," Koda begged. Mr. Fisher opened the door, letting the caveman in. Koda raced up the stairs and burst into Cammy's room, waking her. She sat up in bed and right away was engulfed by the caveman's strong hug.

"Can't breathe," she told him, but Koda didn't set her down. He carried her downstairs, where a confused Mr. Fisher watched.

"Please," he begged the older man as he walked by. "I take Cammy to Kendall."

"What? Why?"

"Scared."

Mr. Fisher reached for his coat. Koda shook his head.

"No, only Cammy."

"If something's happened..."

Koda shook his head again. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but figured keeping the Fishers out of it was for the best until he had answers. If Kendall had disappeared for reasons related to the energems or their Ranger duties, it would be difficult for anyone to explain.

"Just nightmare," he decided to go with that. "Only need Cammy."

"You're sure?" Mr. Fisher asked. "Because if she needs something..."

"Sure. I call if she need you," Koda promised. Mr. Fisher gave an uncertain nod, but he knew Kendall's friends took good care of her, and he knew they took care of Cammy so he let Koda go with the nine year old.

Koda carried Cammy home on his back the whole way, running as quickly as he could. He had been terrified something had happened to the little girl and thought if he could get that scared, Kendall's fear had to be worse. The only thing that put him at ease was seeing Cammy, he thought the same could be done for Kendall.

He explained to Cammy on his way: how Kendall had said something about her being dead. Cammy was confused, but she was eager to help her sister. She didn't want Kendall thinking for a single moment that she was dead.

Eventually, Koda was back at the museum. Exhausted, he set Cammy down on her feet. Luckily, Cammy knew where to go from the entrance and ran down to the lab. When the elevator doors opened, she saw Kendall crying, unable to be consoled by Chase. Cammy was curious what he was doing back, but didn't care to ask.

"Kendall, it's okay," she said, racing to her sister and throwing herself into Kendall's arms. "I'm not dead."

Kendall grabbed Cammy, hugged her tight then pushed her away to have a good look. She took off her glasses, cleaned them then put them back on. Cammy was still there. Kendall could feel her, see her, and when she hugged her she could feel her heartbeat and smell her Bubbly Princess shampoo. Cammy was real, she was alive, and she was okay.

Suddenly, nothing made sense. Her friends not turning up, but having their care and support now; being gone for weeks, yet their telling her it hadn't been long; the missing face of the person who hurt her; Cammy's lifeless body being dumped in front of her and now that same girl wrapping her arms tight around her.

What had happened? Who had done it? Why couldn't she remember anything? Who had been able to take so much from her, without so much as leaving a trace?

"Heckyl," Koda growled, eyeing Ivan. The Knight nodded.

"I agree," he said. "We'll have another chat with this scoundrel."

"The magician boyfriend?" Cammy asked.

"Stay here," Ivan told her. "Keep watch over Lady Kendall. Ensure nothing else happens to her."

Cammy watched Ivan and Koda leave, then turned to Chase. The black Ranger was looking to her worriedly. Cammy winced a little.

"They're not really dating, dating," she said. Chase didn't seem comforted, so Cammy continued. "He's her friend and... I think they kiss but... Kendall still likes you."

"Cammy, stop, please," he begged her. Right now, he really didn't care to hear how Kendall had moved on without him.

"Are you mad at her?" Cammy looked to Kendall, then back at Chase. "I told her you would be mad but.. she said if you cared, you would have stayed and... Chase, I kind of agree."

Chase frowned and glared at Cammy, "What?"

"You left," Cammy said. "People who care don't leave."

" _Who did this to you?" he asked her, trying to be as gentle and soft as he could. He understood that whatever had happened had weakened her mind._

" _If you cared, you wouldn't have left."_

Chase leaned forward curiously, "Cammy, why are you saying that?"

"Kendall said it."

"When?"

"I dunno?" Cammy shrugged. "A little while ago. She said Heckyl said it and that it made sense and it kinda sorta does."

"Not at all," Chase shook his head. "You know I care about her. Kendall," he shifted his attention to her, "Please, you know how much I care."

She turned away from him. Cammy shrugged again.

"The people who do care haven't left us," Cammy said. "Like Bella and Jon. They care. I know, because they're always there. You left."

"What about Jeremy?" Chase asked, looking to Kendall. "He's gone too, but you know he cares about you. How is this any different?"

"He came back," Cammy answered.

"So did I," Chase frowned. He reached out, touching Kendall's arm. She pulled away from him. "Kendall, I'm right here. As soon as I heard, I flew over. Just like Jeremy. You have to understand."

"You're too late," Cammy whispered. "Now she's all screwy."

"Cammy..."

"She is! Jeremy came back in time. You're too late and Kendall's messed up. She thinks I'm dead."

Chase sunk back, looking defeated. Jeremy had come back for Kendall once when she broke her leg, and he had come back, like he promised, over Christmas. Chase had done the same, hopping onto the first flight as soon as there was trouble, but whatever had happened to her led her to believe he hadn't. Weeks, maybe months had passed in her mind before Chase could be bothered to show up.

Kendall was wrong. Cammy was wrong. But they were also right. Chase rubbed his face, sighing hopelessly. He was back to square one, maybe further back if the damage was as bad as it appeared. Kendall wasn't just shutting him out, but she flinched at his touch and turned away at the sound of his voice. He would never hurt her, yet he was the enemy.

"I'm good for her, Cammy," he begged with the little girl. Somehow, she had to be his way back in. He could only hope she was mature enough to see both sides and help him out. Cammy nodded.

"I know."

"You'll take care of her?" he asked. Cammy smiled, nodding her head.

"Yeah," she leaned into Kendall, who let Cammy hold her. Kendall had no reservations about Cammy. Not like she did with Chase. She seemed comforted merely by her sister's presence while Chase made her uneasy.

"You'll let her know I care about her?"

"I'll try," Cammy promised.


	7. Staying Close

Kendall didn't know what hurt more: the fact that she had no idea what to believe or who she could trust, or the fact that her new friend was gone, almost like he didn't exist. When Ivan and Koda had gone to his apartment to question him on what had happened to Kendall, certain he had something to do with it, a woman they had never seen before answered the door, claiming she had been living in the building since before Kendall had even moved in.

With Heckyl gone, and no other leads, the three boys and Cammy had put all their energy into looking after Kendall. They had convinced her at the very least to let them take her home and from there did what she would let them do to take care of her. Right now she was sitting on her bed, going through in her mind what could and couldn't be true about recent events.

The newspaper, the news, the magazines, her computers, her phone, everything with a date was telling her that she had only disappeared for a day. Her captor had only held her for a matter of hours. Yet her mind, the only thing she had trusted her entire life had her convinced she had been missing for a month. Facts were telling her she was wrong, but her gut refused to believe it, pulling her both ways, furthering her confusion.

Her friends, the ones she was convinced no longer cared for her now that their duties as Rangers was over were going above and beyond to look after her. Cammy, the only person she knew she could trust of the group was happy with them, smiling and talking to them. She seemed to trust them, so Kendall should have too.

But if they cared, they wouldn't have left. Those thoughts weighed heavily on her mind. And they never showed up to help her. Whether she had been gone a day or a month, they hadn't come. She had gotten herself out of trouble.

Or had she? How had she wound up back home? Had her captor had enough of her? Did she break out? She still felt so weak, she doubted she had been able to leave on her own. Surely he had to let her go for her to be back home. But if he had taken her, why would he let her go?

"You're safe now," Chase told her, coming into her room after knocking softly. With him he carried a bowl. As he brought the bowl closer, Kendall smelled the soup and panicked. She pushed Chase away, spilling the soup on both him and herself as she jumped out of bed and ducked into the corner. Chase cried out as the hot soup burned his chest.

"Bad call on the soup," he told himself as he removed his shirt and saw the red marks on his chest. He would tend to them later. Right now, he needed to be sure Kendall hadn't burned herself too badly. He set the bowl down, showed Kendall his empty hands and approached her slowly. "Come on, Kendall. You can trust me."

He reached out his hand, hoping she would take it. She was more responsive the more control she had. Eventually, she took his hand and accepted his help back into bed.

"Since soup is off the table," he said. "What would you like to eat? I'll make you anything."

"When did you come back?" Kendall asked him. Chase frowned.

"I was only at the market an hour."

"Here," Kendall said. "When did you come back home?"

"America, home?" Chase asked. "As soon as Koda and Ivan told me you were gone."

"When?"

"The day you went missing," Chase told her. "You have to believe me, I know it doesn't feel like it, but you were only gone a day. The flight's long, but if I could have been here sooner, I would have."

"You didn't wait?"

"Why would I?" Chase asked her. "You know how much you... mean to me."

Chase trailed off because that wasn't true. He had ignored his feelings for a while; having convinced himself that his feelings for his Ranger mentor turned teammate was nothing more than a crush. However, being away for so long forced him to re-evaluate. He had missed her, he constantly found himself wondering what she was doing...

It was no wonder, on Halloween night, the Cupid Charger had no effect on him. At home, in New Zealand, he learned he had fallen in love with the scientist, and had been in love with her a while. Yet, he never told her. Not in a single video call or email he had sent.

Chase chuckled: no wonder she was confused about how he felt towards her. She didn't know. He hadn't been honest with her. Until now, there was no reason to tell her. Given her state of mind and the fact that she was desperate to find something real, he knew he was left with no choice. She was scared; he needed to be honest with her.

"I love you," he said. "And not the friendship I love you, where we say it when we think the other needs to hear it, but cover it up as something friends say because you're not ready. I love you, love you. And I know you're still not ready and you're scared and now's not the time. I know if you weren't... well, like this you'd be rejecting me as gently as you could, wanting to preserve the friendship and... Well, that doesn't change anything. I love you, a lot. I jumped on the first plane because I can't live without you."

Chase waited for her response and suddenly grew very worried he set her back. She was fragile, scared and very confused. His confession could have pushed her away from recovery. Finally, he got his answer in the form of a subtle nod and a quiet, "Okay."

"Okay?" he asked. "So we're... okay?"

"You would have been there... if you could?"

"In a heartbeat," he promised her. "But you were already home by the time the plane landed."

"Fact?"

"Yes," Chase nodded. He pulled out his cell phone, reminding her of the date. "It's just been over a day. The flight from New Zealand takes half a day. You know this, right?"

Kendall looked at the date on the phone, yet more proof her mind was lying to her. And Chase was right, the flight back for him was half a day in length. She clutched her head as she started to cry. Chase wasn't sure what to do, but he sat next to her, put one arm around her and then called Cammy into the room. Like a rocket, Cammy raced in, jumped on the bed and cuddled with her sister. Chase tried to let go, now that Cammy was around, but Kendall held his hand. Chase pulled up the chair he had been using to sleep on to keep watch over Kendall at night and stayed with her, holding her hand. He turned on the TV, something mindless so Kendall could rest her brain for a few hours. She seemed to need it.

"I see him again," Koda whispered to Ivan from the door in reference to Heckyl. "I kill him."

"Indeed," Ivan agreed.

-Dino-Charge-

Days passed: actual days, the Rangers would tell Kendall, and she believed them. She was starting to feel a little better. More and more she managed to decipher what was true and what had been fabricated in her mind by the captor: the magician, Cammy called him, using the same title she had for Heckyl. Kendall wasn't sure why. She knew whatever had happened to her mentally seemed to be supernatural – or magical for the little girl and Ivan, who believed in that sort of thing – but no one made the connection to her that Heckyl appeared to be behind her kidnapping.

Not that it was confirmed. Kendall couldn't remember the face of the person who took her. She knew nothing about who he was, what he looked like or how he had taken her. All she knew what that he had gotten a lot of information about her regarding the Rangers, the energems and the chargers, implying that, like Sledge and Fury, he was on the hunt for the stones, and that he had killed Cammy – the latter of which Kendall had seen, felt, and heard for herself was untrue.

And even if Kendall could put his face on her captor, no one else could. Not a single one of the building's residents or staff reported seeing anyone matching Heckyl's description ever. All of which claimed the woman who lived in his apartment now had been there for years. Even Kendall recognized her neighbour and seemed convinced she had met Heckyl somewhere else. She was also convinced they were still friends, and her heart was breaking every day when he didn't reach out to her. She thought she had made a real friend, on her own, and now, suddenly, he couldn't care any less about her. When she needed a friendly face most, he was nowhere to be found.

Even the museum staff couldn't remember seeing Kendall with anything matching Heckyl's description, though they all admitted seeing their boss hanging out with a young man. It was all much too confusing for the Rangers, so they decided until they saw him again; they wouldn't waste any more time on him. If he never turned up again, it would be for the best. But they were ready to hurt him if he did show his face.

However, once thing remained unchanged. Kendall would not eat soup. Chase placed the bowl in front of her carefully. She didn't panic like the last time he had made it for her, yet she wouldn't eat it. Her stomach growled, so she was hungry, but she shook her head. Suddenly, her face turned green and she raced to the sink, throwing up what little was left in her stomach from the meal the night before. Mostly, though, it was dry heaves. None of the boys nor Cammy could understand. Kendall ate soup at the Dino Cafe on a regular basis, especially if she wasn't feeling well. Now, she couldn't stand to look at it.

Fortunately, Chase had prepared a back up meal. He had done so after proposing soup for breakfast and seeing Kendall wince. When she was done throwing up, he offered her a jelly sandwich. Kendall ate without trouble.

So Cammy pushed her soup away and pretended she was going to throw up. Chase shot her a look.

"Nice try. Eat."

"I'm allergic to vegetables."

"You're not. Eat it then I'll take you to school."

"Fine," Cammy muttered. "But if I really do throw up, you'll be sorry."

Chase rolled his eyes. At least Cammy was still her regular self. He was glad for that.

"You'll watch her?" he said, turning to Ivan and Koda, who were enjoying their meals in front of the TV. Both gave a thumbs up. So Chase looked to Kendall, "You're okay with them?"

Kendall nodded her head. She had learned to trust her three teammates. They had been by her side since she woke up after her capture. By default, the fact that they hadn't left meant they had to care. Even with so many conflicting thoughts in her head, Kendall knew not to contradict that one saying.

 _They've stayed, so they care,_ she reminded herself. Chase smiled, packed up Cammy's bag then gave it to the little girl as they made their way out the door.

"I'll be back in half an hour."

Kendall nodded her head but checked the time: 8:30. Chase knew she did this. It seemed to be how she coped with the conflicting time lapse in her head. She kept track with every clock, watch and cell phone she had on. Right now, the time on the oven seemed to be enough. Chase knew he had to be back by nine, otherwise she would panic and he would lose her trust.

Fortunately, the school was five minutes away. He had more than enough time to drop Cammy off and come back. He had given Kendall more time than he needed, just in case something happened on the way.

When Chase and Cammy were gone, and Kendall finished her breakfast, she walked to the couch and sat next to Koda. She saw he and Ivan were playing a video game and watched curiously.

"Want to play?" Koda asked, offering her a controller. "This going away present from Chase. Ivan and I play."

"Do I?"

"No," Koda said. "Too busy. But not busy now."

Fact. Kendall was often too busy for things like video games. But now, she was resting. Now, she had a lot of time to relax. She took the controller from Koda and let him guide her through the game.

"I'm impressed," she said. "For a caveman, you're really good at this."

"Kendall teached Koda a lot," Koda told her. "When I first come out of glacier, very confused. Kendall was first friend. Teach me what I need to learn."

"I taught you video games?"

Koda and Ivan both laughed at this, earning a frown from Kendall. Koda explained a little more.

"Kendall help Koda feel comfortable with new friends. Koda learn to like Chase, Chase teach Koda to play."

"That makes sense," Kendall nodded. Then she looked to Ivan, "Who taught you?"

"Koda did."

Kendall gave another little nod before her player suddenly shot the head off Ivan's. She looked to the game in horror, as did Ivan. Koda simply laughed and prodded Ivan playfully.

"You lose to Kendall."

"I have not lost," he shook his head. "I have merely lost a life. Besides, a true knight never attacks a damsel."

"How win if can't attack damsel?" Koda asked and Ivan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"You raise a good point, Sir Koda. Lady Kendall, I do apologize, but it seems for my honour, I must not hold back any longer. Prepare to have thine appendages removed."

"You wouldn't," Kendall shook her head, setting the controller down in fear. Koda nudged Ivan, drawing the Knight's attention to her. Ivan set his controller down too.

"Lady Kendall, it is merely in the game," he assured her. "In real life, I would defend thee with my life."

"I protect Kendall," Koda took her hand softly. Kendall seemed to respond to his words. He smiled to her. "I not let people hurt Kendall."

"No hurt Kendall, he says," Ivan added in the hopes that hearing one of Koda's catchphrases would build trust in Kendall. It seemed to work. She nodded her head and smiled.

"I still don't like the game."

"T'was expected," Ivan chuckled. He turned off the game and put on some television – something mindless to help her rest. She had come a long way in only a few short days. He wouldn't push her any further.

She came a little further when, before nine, Chase walked back through the door and the four of them sat in front of the TV until around lunch, when the other Rangers video called to see how Kendall was doing.

 _They care,_ she told herself. _They always cared._


	8. Aversion

Kendall trusted her friends. They had stuck by her as she deciphered what was true and what wasn't. She knew they weren't going to leave her like the other had. Those words that echoed in her head, the ones whispered to her by the mysterious figure who had captured her were wrong. The Rangers had left – her friends had gone on their own travels and left her behind – but they cared. Kendall knew how to tell who cared because they always came back, even if it was just through video call.

However, there was something weighing on her chest. She had no idea who she had spoken too but someone knew all the Rangers secrets. That someone was also powerful enough to bend her mind – to make her feel as though her friends wanted nothing to do with her, and make a quick day seem like weeks. He managed to bend her mind to the point she had no control over her actions and her thoughts were not private. He knew everything she knew – every secret anyone had shared with her, any secret she had kept to herself. This person knew how to get into the Dino Lab, how to access the scans and all the computers. The person knew about the chargers – what they did, how they worked and how they were connected to the Rangers and the energems.

Kendall had spilled every secret. She put her friends, their families, in danger. Someone knew way too much and it was all because of her. So when Koda, Chase, and Ivan tried to bring her back down to her lab to work, she shook her head and refused to step out of the elevator. Someone knew too much. This place was no longer safe. Her friends were not safe. And if someone knew everything she did, there was nothing she could build that would surprise them. The same person who hurt her was still out there. He knew just as much as her, but he still knew more: he knew who she was. She had no idea who he was. As far as she knew, she had already walked past him on the street.

"Kendall, something's out there," Chase said from inside the lab, his hand extended, inviting her to take it. "We need you back. We need you working. Only you know how to make new weapons and stuff."

"I won't," she whispered. The less she knew the better. That way, if the person did come back, they couldn't get any new information from her. She wouldn't put the Rangers in any more danger than she already had.

"Not need be scared," Koda promised her and pointed to the caves, "I stay here with you when work. Like before."

Kendall shook her head. She didn't need a bodyguard – she needed ignorance. She needed to know as little as possible about the Rangers' newest weapons, gears and Zords. She refused to betray her friends anymore than she had, even if it had been against her will.

The elevator doors started to close. Chase, with his hand out, stopped them. He looked to Kendall, pleading she trust him. Kendall shook her head again.

"No."

Chase rubbed his face in his hands and this time, when the elevator doors tried to close, he let them. He let Kendall win this fight.

"Call Riley," he said to Ivan and Koda. "If anyone can take her place, at least for now, it's him."

Koda nodded and grabbed his Dino Com. Riley answered after a few calls and seemed to be in the middle of a fencing tournament, confusing Koda with all the equipment. However, when Koda asked for Riley to come back, the green Ranger gave a nod.

"I'll be on the first bus over," he promised. Koda smiled a little, happy more and more of his tribe was coming back, though he hated the circumstances. Then he looked over at Chase and Ivan, who seemed to be waiting for the elevator to come back. They were going to talk to Kendall. He shook his head, pushed his way past and took the elevator himself.

"I talk with Kendall."

"You sure, big guy?" Chase asked. Koda nodded and let the elevator take him up. There, he followed Kendall's scent down to her office. It was still bare from when he moved her possessions down to the lab, but there was still a bookshelf, a couch and a desk. Kendall was seated on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest. Koda sat next to her.

"Scary," he said and she gave a little nod.

"I told him everything," she whispered. Koda frowned.

"Who?"

"Him," she said and he knew what she meant. "He knows. He pulled it out of me. I... I don't know how. It's just... I know, the less I know, the less he'll know."

"Not want to work on Ranger stuff?" Koda asked. "Scared he find out?"

"He pulled one over on me once already," Kendall nodded. "Who's to say he won't try again? That I won't end up back there... like I was?"

He put his arms around her, "I protect Kendall."

"Koda..."

"This like new world," he told her. "You scared but you take baby steps. And until you not scared, I protect you."

He put his own spin on the first speech she ever gave him once she had rescued him from the other scientists. When he was safe in her lab and when he had enough of an understanding of English, she had told him something similar. She wouldn't let anything in this new world hurt him, and she would introduce it to him a little bit at a time, never giving him anymore than he could handle.

She had stayed true to her word, to this day. Koda was a lot more independent now. He could do a lot of discovering on his own. However, Kendall was always there, making sure he took all the right steps, at the right time.

He owed her that much in return.

"No hurt Kendall," he promised her. "I protect you."

"I... I can change the access codes," Kendall stated. "If... if he does... If he comes back, he won't know the new codes."

Koda nodded and smiled, "Sound like good idea."

"But I'll know the codes," concerned flashed across her face. "I'll know it, and if he found out once..."

Koda put his hands on either side of Kendall's head, then kissed her forehead softly, "I protect you," he promised her.

"I said a lot," she told him. "About the Rangers, what I knew about their families and them and... Koda, he knows a lot."

"I protect you," he insisted once more. "We get through this, together."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"I am."

Koda shook his head. He wouldn't let Kendall believe it, not for a minute. However, it was clear to him she just needed time to sit with her thoughts. So he sat with her, holding her, assuring her nothing had changed between them, and nothing would change between her and the Rangers. They would all understand she hadn't intentionally done anything against them.

And if they didn't, he would take care of them. No one, not even his friends, would make Kendall feel like she had done anything wrong.

-Dino-Charge-

Kendall refused to work on weapons and upgrades, but she was back in the lab. She was running scans over the city, searching for the man, person, or being that had captured her. She felt if he knew so much about her and the Rangers, she should learn a little something about him. Once she knew who he, or it was, she could design a charger that could counter his effects. Her hope was that no one would be under his control again.

Riley was helping her. He had come back from his family's farm to be her helping hand. It put her at ease to know that not everything that was taking place in the lab needed her. There were some things that only Riley knew. This way, even if the person did capture her again, she couldn't tell him everything about the Rangers.

"Lunch time," Chase called, bringing a tray down with meals for both Riley and Kendall. They would both get so caught up in their work that they would forget to eat unless food was put down right in front of them. Chase hoped, Kendall would continue to focus on her work and not notice that he had given her soup. He was taking a risk, but she had a strange aversion to the liquid meal. Just the sight of it made her physically sick. He wanted her to get over it. He wanted there to be nothing left from her time with her captor.

He set the bowls down in front of Riley and Kendall. Riley mindlessly began to eat as he analyzed some of the data he had collected. Kendall reached for the spoon, dipped it in her bowl then stopped herself. She looked down at the soup. Her stomach churned.

"Why?" Chase asked her. "You loved this, Kendall. Why not now?"

 _He placed himself behind her, putting his arms around her as he picked up the soup and began to feed her._

" _You're no good to me dead," he said. Kendall refused the first bite, but his hand glowed and suddenly she couldn't control herself anymore. She ate as much as he fed her, though the food made her stomach turn._

"I'm not hungry," she told Chase, but seemed to be eyeing Riley as he ate, almost as if jealous the soup didn't turn him off like it did her. It didn't make him feel vulnerable and weak, like it did her.

"One bite, then I'll make you something else," Chase offered. Koda and Ivan were already preparing a burger for her, in case she couldn't bring herself to eat the soup, but Chase didn't want to back down so quickly. The aversion to soup, formerly one of her favourite meals, was ridiculous. He picked up the spoon, placed it in the bowl, and then brought some of the soup up to her lips. Kendall refused the first bite, but Chase didn't back down. "Come on," he told her, his tone giving away some of his frustration and suddenly, Kendall felt compelled to eat.

Riley watched the scene curiously. Kendall was eating, but she didn't seem to enjoy a single bite, and refused to take any herself unless it was fed to her by Chase. He frowned deeply, setting his own spoon down.

"Hey, uh, Chase," he called to the black Ranger. "Can I see you over here a second?"

Chase nodded, passed the spoon to Kendall and went to join Riley. He thought the green Ranger would just ask him about some of the data, wanting a second opinion, but he didn't. Riley just gestured to Kendall, who continued to look at the soup with unease.

"She doesn't like it," he said. Chase shook his head.

"It's ridiculous. She's gotta eat."

"Why?" he asked.

"I'm not letting him win."

"And this is how you're going to do it?" Riley asked. "Force feeding her something that clearly makes her sick?"

"I'm not force feeding her," Chase frowned. He crossed his arms over his chest, insulted Riley would make such a suggestion.

"She'll eat anything other than soup. You won't eat shrimp. Would you appreciate me serving it to you?"

"I don't like shrimp. She loved soup."

"Right. Loved," Riley nodded. "Just, get her the burger, alright."

"Sure," Chase sighed, picked up the bowl and made his way upstairs, hoping Ivan and Koda were almost done. Menawhile, Riley but back to work, but turned his attention to Kendall, smiling gently.

"He did feed you, didn't he?" he asked. Kendall turned to him.

"Excuse me?"

"Mystery thing," Riley said. "He gave you something to eat, even if it wasn't much. It was soup, wasn't it."

"Close enough to it."

"It reminds you of him?"

Kendall nodded her head. Riley smiled again.

"Chase is just trying to help."

"I know."

"You can still say no."

"I can't," Kendall whispered. Riley frowned.

"You've done it before."

"He gets angry then he leaves," she said.

"Ms. Morgan, Chase isn't going to leave," Riley came around and put his hand on her shoulder, hoping to be of some comfort, but Kendall didn't respond. He leaned in, looking to her and saw her eyes weren't focused on the task. She seemed to be lost in thought, as though off in some other world. "Ms. Morgan, you there?"

"He wants something from me," Kendall said. "I can't give it to him."

"He's not completely gone, is he Ms. Morgan?" Riley asked and Kendall turned to face him, a horrified look in her eyes. She put down her tools and stepped back from the table, shaking her head. Riley gave a little nod. "I'll keep working then. Why don't you head home?"

Kendall nodded and wordlessly made her way upstairs, just missing Chase who came down the slide from the cafe kitchen with her burger.

"Where did she...?"

"Home," Riley answered. "She'll probably have Koda take her."


	9. The Monster Inside

Koda walked with Kendall from the elevator down to her apartment door. As he found the keys to let them inside, he noticed the scientist glancing longingly at the door that once was Heckyl's.

Koda knew there had to be a connection between Heckyl and Kendall's sudden disappearance, despite being unable to explain it. He had disappeared right after Kendall had been found and the entire time he had a relationship with the purple Ranger, Koda had a bad feeling about it. There were no obvious connections: just bad feelings.

They had tried to explain that to Kendall, who still held onto Heckyl as her first friend outside the Ranger gang. Her description of him in no way matched the man she had spent so much time with, yet matched exactly the description the other staff at the museum had of the person Kendall had been spending so much time with. Koda couldn't understand it, and it gave him a headache trying to think about it. So he focused on what was important: Kendall thought she had a friend and he was suddenly gone from her life.

Kendall was hurting. Koda needed a way to make it better for her. He took her hand, offered her a soft smile and led her inside her apartment.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Kendall didn't say anything but wiped her eyes as she walked to her bedroom. She seemed to want to rest. Koda let her go and decided to make her something to eat for when she was hungry.

Kendall went to her room and lay down on her bed. Her thoughts were not her own, she could feel it. Whoever had taken her, whatever he wanted from her he was still trying. She hated that she was his best way in. She hated the position she found herself in: first with Fury, now with this stranger. She was the scientist, the energem expert. She created the battle gear, the weapons, the upgrades. She commanded the Rangers, lead their searches for new energems. She had all the information any of the villains could need.

Fury knew this, which was why he turned his sights to her at the very end. She could do what he couldn't do. She was the key to finding the energems. She was something he wanted. She remembered the way he had beaten her, leaving her as nothing but a heap on the ground and offering her near-lifeless body to the Rangers in exchange for their energems.

And they had done it, because just like Fury, they knew without Kendall, they would make no progress.

Now, this mystery villain knew to get to the energems and to hurt the Rangers, he had to go through her. It seemed she was the key. She was what could hurt the Rangers most and she could give any villain the edge they needed.

Feeling something wash over her, Kendall found herself dragging her feet out of her bedroom and into the kitchen, where Koda was cooking up something for lunch. She walked past him, went straight to the knife block and picked up a knife. Koda looked to her, eyeing her suspiciously until she held out her wrist and held the knife out. His eyes widened as he jumped towards her, stealing the knife from her hand and wrapping his arm around her tight.

"Kendall, no!" he shouted at her and suddenly she was back, shaking her head in confusion. She looked up at Koda, who was watching her in fear and worry. She saw the knife in his hand and her eyes widened.

"I... I..."

Koda set the knife down, pulled her away from anything sharp and held her softly in his arms.

"Why you want to hurt self?" he asked. Kendall shrugged, burying her face in Koda's chest.

"Get it out," she whispered. Koda gave a little nod and walked with her to the couch. He sat down her down and turned on the TV. He kept Kendall in his arms even after she fell asleep.

-Dino-Charge-

Chase rubbed his face in his hands and looked to Kendall, who was fast asleep on the couch, tucked comfortably under a blanket with the TV playing softly in the background just in case she were to wake up. He shook his head, turning to Koda.

"She tried to hurt herself?" he asked. Koda gave a little nod then pointed to the knife.

"She try, but not want to," he said, causing Chase to frown in confusion.

"What does that mean? She tried but didn't want to. Was she cooking or something?"

Koda shook his head, "No. Something is in head. I see in eyes when she try to hurt herself."

Chase clenched his fists, angered that though Kendall seemed to be back at home, she wasn't completed back. It seemed Keeper hadn't been exaggerating on his diagnosis of Kendall, and Chase's clarification to Koda and Ivan had been a pretty accurate assessment: she had been mind fucked. Someone had invaded her head, clearly someone supernatural. Maybe it had been foolish to assume all the aliens died in Sledge's ship's crash. Maybe there were some who were still around, freed now that their captor was gone.

If he truly was gone.

"I'll check it out," Chase insisted, grabbing his jacket. Koda frowned.

"Check what out?"

"The crash site. See if there's any sign of something getting out."

"Ship crash?" Koda asked. "Kendall run lots of scan. All monsters gone."

"I know, big guy. But... she can't detect everything. Someone or something's slipped past her radar. The sooner we figure out what, the sooner we can help her. You coming?"

"I stay," Koda insisted. "I look after Kendall."

-Dino-Charge-

Chase walked through the crash site, careful of where he stepped, wanting to avoid slipping on scrap pieces of metal. He remembered vividly being caught in the wreck. He had been captured by Poisandra with Cammy. Kendall had come for him in no time at all. She had fought with Sledge, holding him off and managed to also get the energems in Chase's hand, granting him back his powers. Chae remembered trying to get off the ship with Kendall and Cammy, but found aliens stood in their way. In his attempt to protect the girls, he sent them ahead of him, hoping he could distract the aliens long enough so they could get away. He promised he would be right behind them, but he had failed to keep that promise. As the ship began to plummet towards Earth, Chase found himself with no way out. He had been certain he was going to die.

He woke up some time later, trapped in the debris. He hoped for his friends, that they would find him, but they didn't come. Days, or maybe just hours later, a mysterious figure appeared and brought him home. Chase later learned that figure was the same man Kendall had been trying to defend.

The same man that now appeared to be the number one suspect behind Kendall's kidnapping. Maybe, Heckyl was no man at all. Chase was frustrated that he really didn't know who to blame for Kendall's undoing. He just knew there was someone hurting her, and he needed to figure it out fast.

There wasn't much left of the ship. The impact had pretty much destroyed everything. Chase was sure it was a miracle he had survived. Granted, he had been very badly injured. His head, his ribs, and his shoulder were still sore for him, and he was sure his knee would never be the same again. However, he knew if he had survived, even by some miracle, there was a chance someone else had too.

Chase was about to give up. If someone had survived, especially a prisoner, they wouldn't have stuck around. He wasn't likely to find anyone or any clues. For now, though it was enough for him to know that he couldn't count all the aliens out. Someone was alive.

Chase turned, about to leave when he saw a figure in the distance, admiring the ship. The black Ranger ducked behind a large piece of scrap metal and watched the figure, taking note of his appearance as much as he could given the distance. Judging by the outline, this person was a monster. However, Chase didn't recognise him. This was a new monster: most likely, the one hurting Kendall. Angry, Chase rose to his feet and called out to the figure, "Who are you?"

The monster seemed to be looking at him as he answered, "What's it to you?" Chase morphed in response. The figure chuckled, "Am I supposed to run scared?"

"I'd rather you not," he summoned his Para Chopper. "You're behind what's happening to my friend, aren't you?"

"I'm just having a little fun," the monster replied. He looked nothing like a person, but the way he spoke reminded Chase of someone he had met before. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something human about this monster. Not that it really mattered to Chase. He wanted this monster dead by any means.

"The time for fun is over!" Chase stepped forward. He wanted this monster to know he was ready and willing to fight.

"My fun's only just begun," the monster laughed. "Besides, the information I've obtained will prove invaluable..."

"You're hurting her!" Chase shouted. "She's got nothing left to give!"

He had no idea what he was saying, he just wanted to make it clear to the monster that his time for fun was over. Kendall was hurting so much from whatever the monster was doing that she couldn't resume her regular life. Her days now were filled with an avoidance for soup, a reluctance to work in the lab and make any new discoveries related to the energems, and now, self-harm. Chase shook his head. "You're taking it too far. Any more of this, and we might both lose her."

"She's the best you've got," the figure said. "She knows all. How could I pass that up?"

"You'll kill her," Chase said. "You've almost done it once. I'm serious, if you don't stop this now, we're both going to lose her, and then what'll you do?"

"Hopefully, by then, I'll have all the energems..."

"I'll break it," Chase said and powered down. He grabbed his necklace and held his energem tight in his fist. "I swear, if you don't let her go, I'll shatter it."

"You can't..."

"It's bonded to me," Chase said and noted that where the monster once seemed overconfident and fearless, now there was a tone of worry in his voice. He had no idea Chase was bluffing. "You want all ten energems, don't you?"

"They are much too powerful to be destroyed by a mere human."

"Yet, a human's who they've chosen," Chase said. "Maybe you don't know as much as you thought you did. Maybe she doesn't know as much as you thought she did."

Somehow, Chase seemed to be taking the advantage over this mystery monster. His bluff was working well.

"You don't let her go, I'll destroy the black energem and you'll never have all ten of them in your possession."

"She means that much to you?"

"More."

"You guarantee you'll keep the energems safe?"

"Only if she's safe," Chase said. In the distance, Chase could see the monster giving a little nod.

"Then I will let her go. However, there will be one condition."

"And what's that?" Chase asked.

"I will be back for the energems," the monster said, which didn't surprise Chase in the slightest. However, his next words did, "And when I do come back, please, make it fun."

"Fun?" Chase frowned, but the monster didn't answer. He simply turned, and just like magic, disappeared. Chase watched for a few moments, wondering if maybe he would see the figure again, but it appeared he was gone: at least, for now.

So he rushed back to Kendall's apartment. Koda was looking to him for answers, but Chase only shrugged his shoulders. Really, he had no idea what he had done other than make it known to a monster he hadn't gotten a good look at that he was willing to do whatever it took to protect Kendall. He just hoped, whatever he had done, he had done it right.

He knelt in front of the couch, touching Kendall's shoulder gently. He shook her softly, pulling her from her sleep. When she opened her eyes, she glared at him, as though offended he had woke her up.

"Is this important?"

Koda leaned over Chase's shoulder, getting a good look. Chase, meanwhile shook his head.

"I just... can I change the channel?" he gestured to the TV behind him with a flick of the thumb. Kendall groaned and nodded her head.

"Just don't wake me up again. I'm exhausted."

"Right, sorry," Chase nodded and picked up the remote. Then he and Koda walked to the kitchen.

"Look normal," Koda frowned. "What Chase do?"

"Not sure, mate," Chase shrugged. "But whatever you do, keep you morpher close and your energem closer."

"Closer?" Koda asked and picked up his necklace from around his neck. "How I keep closer?"

"Not literally. I was just... never mind. Just, keep an eye out. Something's still out there."

"Fury?"

"Something worse... I think," Chase glanced back over to the living room, where on the couch, Kendall was sleeping again, "And keep an eye on her. If whatever I did worked, she should be back to normal but..."

"I protect Kendall," Koda nodded. Chase smiled, placing his hand on Koda's shoulder.

"Please."


	10. A New Threat

Chase watched Kendall work down in her lab, almost as though nothing had happened the week before. She was back to her usual self and when Chase tried to ask her how she was feeling, she would reply with a simple _fine._ She wasn't avoiding work, she didn't seem fragile. Chase, Koda, Ivan and Riley felt less and less like they needed to walk on eggshells around her. She still wouldn't eat soup, but with the exception of her food aversion, she was back to normal.

Chase breathed a sigh of relief as Ivan joined him at the table. Both watched Kendall for a moment before Ivan turned his attention to Chase.

"You cannot describe this vile fiend?" he asked and Chase shook his head. Ivan was asking about the monster the black Ranger had seen; the one who promised to stop tormenting Kendall just before her life returned to normal. Their original suspicion that Heckyl had been the one behind Kendall's sudden disappearance, as well as her _mind fuck,_ as Chase called it, had been replaced with the unnamed monster. He had admitted to hurting Kendall, and that he enjoyed doing so. However, Chase had never gotten a good look at him, having kept himself at a distance.

"I can't," he answered Ivan, looking a little glum that there was nothing more he could do. Kendall was back to her usual self, and happy to get to work on a charger that should help the Rangers in battle, should the monster or any others return. However, Chase still wanted to know who had hurt the purple Ranger, and he wanted that person – monster – to hurt just as much as Kendall had, maybe more.

Ivan reached across and placed his hand on Chase's shoulder, offering him a sympathetic smile, "What is important is the lady is safe. Should that monster return, we will be better able to challenge him to a proper duel."

"Should we call the others back?" Chase asked, glancing down at his Dino Com. Since Kendall was back to work and had proven she no longer needed help, Riley had returned to his family farm. His mother and his brother needed him to help with the chores and he was eager to spend some time with his family. His Ranger duties had taken him away for several months without a visit. If he wasn't needed back, he preferred to be on the farm. However, he had promised the Rangers he would come back at a moment's notice if anything happened, and even if nothing did, he would be back to visit. Everyone knew Riley loved being in the city. Were it not for his family, he would have stayed in Amber Beach.

Tyler and Shelby were still off on their adventure, and it had taken them out of State. However, they too had promised that, if needed, they would cut their adventure short and come back to Amber Beach. Tyler was determined to find his father, but there was no sense in looking for him if the world was destroyed. As much as it killed him on some days, he knew his Ranger duties needed to come first.

"For what purpose?" Ivan asked. "This monster you speak of has yet to show his face in a sennight."

"Not that I saw his face," Chase grumbled. "Just an outline, really. Hell, for all I know, it could be some bloke in cosplay."

"In what?" Ivan asked with a frown, but Chase shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"Never mind. So you don't think we need to call the others?"

"I've already asked them to be ready to return," Ivan assured him. "But I do not feel there is a need to have everyone back just yet."

"What if he comes back?"

"Riley can return in half a day, as can Prince Phillip," Ivan reminded Chase. "As for Tyler and Shelby, well, they'll make it back as soon as they can, and perhaps that is for the best."

"Two Rangers popping out of the blue? Are you going for the element of surprise?"

"It's our turn, is it not?" Ivan asked. "I was surprised anything survived that crash. Now it's time for that monster to feel the same shock."

"He knows about the others, though," Chase said. "He's after the energems."

"He will not get them."

"He's going to be tough. He asking we make the fight fun."

"We will be tougher."

"Does anything worry you?" Chase frowned at the Knight. "There isn't a part of you that's utterly terrified this might not end well for any of us?"

"As a team, there is nothing that can defeat us," Ivan stated confidently before his lips twisted into a teasing smirk and he nudged Chase playfully. "Your concerns are for Ms. Morgan, are they not?"

"She's got an energem, she's a Ranger, she builds all this and she's really the one person who knows _how_ to find energems. Whoever that bastard was, he wasn't a fool going after her. It was pretty genius, if you ask me."

"And that scares you?"

"I'm starting to wish the purple Energem had stuck with Cammy," Chase groaned, dropping his head on the table as punishment for wishing such a heavy burden on a little girl. "Then Kendall could stay behind the scenes, where she's safest."

"But not happiest," Ivan said and pointed Chase's attention to where Kendall was working. There was a little smile on her face as she seemed to figure something out about the charger she was building, putting it one step closer to completion. Chase knew, once completed, the charger would work to keep the Rangers – her friends – safe. He sighed loudly, letting his head drop again.

"Love sucks."

Ivan chuckled as he pat his friend's back, "Too true, my friend."

-Dino-Charge-

She pushed those memories to the back of her mind: the ones she knew were true as well as the ones that were too fuzzy to make any sense to her. All she knew, all she wanted to know was that she was feeling much better. The thing in her head, the indecipherable yet very clear, very powerful voice in her head that had been controlling and invading her for the last little while was finally gone. She was free. She wouldn't question it. However, she wouldn't let it go. Something was out there, something scary, something dangerous. The Rangers needed to be ready for whatever it was.

She needed to be ready.

The original charger she had been working on was gone. Fortunately, it held very little power, and in just a couple of days working on a new charger she had passed any progress she made on the old. It would still be a while before she knew what exactly she had planned for this charger specifically, other than a boost in power. It would be longer still before she was able to obtain what she wanted, but the sooner she got to work, the better. Yet, she had spent a whole day working. She had spent a whole day under the watchful eyes of her friends.

They had been very worried for her. Kendall hadn't been in her right mind at the time but she had taken note of everything the Rangers had done for her. She knew how Koda had never left her side and done everything he could to make her feel better. She knew Ivan had done the same, giving her the best of what he had and offering her all the protection she needed. Chase had flown halfway around the world just to be sure she was safe. Riley had come back to the farm to help her get back to work.

She had worried her friends – scared them. She wouldn't do it again, not if she could help it. So when the museum closed its doors for the day, Kendall closed down the lab. She had worked long and hard enough. She deserved a break.

Koda and Ivan had gone to the store to pick up some groceries. It was their night to make dinner. Chase had driven them. With Koda's appetite, a trip to the store was never just a few things. There were always plenty of bags to bring back home. Kendall somewhat missed when he used to live in the caves, and she wouldn't have to bring home so much – just enough to ensure he was getting all the nutrition he needed. The Dino Cafe had more than enough food to ensure he would never go hungry.

Kendall returned to her apartment alone for some much needed quiet time. She loved her friends, she loved that she had people who cared and worried for her. She loved that now, it didn't matter what time of day it was, or what was the topic of conversation, she had a listening ear and a helping hand. However, she also loved her peace. She loved those quiet moments where there was no one around to bother her. Perhaps it was from growing up in near solitude, never thinking she needed to have anyone around. Maybe it was just who she was. Whatever brought it on, Kendall still needed it.

She walked up to her door, looking forward to the hour, maybe more if Koda couldn't be pried away from all the choices available to him at the store, she would spend alone. She put her key in the lock, ready to turn it and let herself in when she heard a male voice calling to her.

"Kendall Morgan?"

She turned to the voice and saw a man about a decade or so older than her, if the gray hair was anything to go by, making his way over to her. He offered his hand.

"Andrew Holt."

Holt. Kendall looked down at his hand, then up at his face. He seemed to gulp before he averted his gaze, looking down to his shoes in shame. He took a deep breath, "You know who I am?"

"I hope I don't," Kendall said. "How do you know me?"

"It's complicated."

"I'm expecting three men to come to my apartment soon, each one more protective of me than the last. If your intentions are..."

"Mrs. Morgan..."

"Ms." Kendall corrected, rolling her eyes. "It's Ms. Morgan."

"Ms. Morgan... I've made a bad mistake."

"And how does that concern me?" Kendall asked. Andrew reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. He held it out to Kendall, inviting her to read it. Kendall saw the letter was addressed to him, and glanced at the bottom to see it was signed by Cammy's mother, confirming her suspicions. A brief read through the note told Kendall all she needed to know: Cammy's mother tried to reach out to Andrew, Cammy's father, for help caring for their newborn child. Given what Kendall knew of Cammy's upbringing, Andrew had refused.

"Camille's my little girl," Andrew said. "She's eight now, maybe nine. Look, I've spent a lot of money trying to track her down and you're the closest I've come. You know her, right? You know my daughter?"

Kendall returned the letter with a shake of her head, "I'm sorry. I have no idea who you're talking about."

"You... you're supposed to know her," Andrew said, his voice cracking a little bit. "She's a little girl. She's... she's..."

"A run a museum, I see a lot of little girls. Can you be more specific?"

"I can't," Andrew admitted, so Kendall tried to get into her apartment. He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "That's my mistake," he told her. "I don't know my little girl and I want to."

"After how many years?"

"That's my mistake," he repeated. "Please, if you know her..."

"You've got the wrong person," Kendall shook her head. She gave Andrew back the letter. "I'm sorry."

She walked into her apartment, shutting the door and locking it. Then she grabbed her phone from her purse. She sat down on her couch as she waited for her father to answer.

"Kendall, it's been a while. Is everything..."

"You and Bella need to come by the museum tomorrow," Kendall said then glanced to her door. "When Cammy's at school."

"Kendall, is everything okay?"

"Cammy's father just came to my apartment," she said. "He's asking after her and I don't know what I should do."

"He's there now?" Mr. Fisher asked. Kendall nodded her head.

"Just now. I told him I didn't know Cammy but... what if she wants to know him?"

"We'll talk," Mr. Fisher promised his daughter. "Your mother and I will be at the museum after we drop Cammy off at school. We'll figure this out."


End file.
